Swimming Pretty in the Glass-Half-Full 2012: Day 335 - Sunrise

Walking with Fahmi and the sunrise was all blues, orange and purples ...

Christmas decorations went up at work ...

And hey oddly didn't make the 100 Most Influential People in Sydney list compiled by the Sydney Morning Herald ... go figure ...

It inspired this hilarious Twitter exchange with Wade and Kat ...

Then we farewelled Rose at lunch ...

TGIF Funnies - Friday 30 November 2012

Swimming Pretty in the Glass-Half-Full 2012: Day 334 - Dinner and a movie (but not in that order)

Off to see Celeste and Jesse Forever with Fahmi at Dendy and then dinner at Sushi Train.

Lovely chilled night and great company.

Swimming Pretty in the Glass-Half-Full 2012: Day 333 - more annual leave

Watched The View, read books, tidied up, did Christmas shopping up at Newtown in Better Read Than Dead, Pentimento ... FUN!

Swimming Pretty in the Glass-Half-Full 2012: Day 332 - Another fabulous day off

Day off # 2 and more wonderful birthday wishes ...

Swimming Pretty in the Glass-Half-Full 2012: Day 331 - Birthday holiday 1

Fab first day off - read lots, blogged, caught on washing clothes etc, ate leftover Lebanese food, watched Fringe and The Walking Dead that night with Aidan ...plus got some more birthday greetings and more cute photos of Bodhi ...

Technically these well wishers weren't late since it was still 25th Nov in their timezone!

At Carrara Markets

Swimming Pretty in the Glass-Half-Full 2012: Day 330 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME

It's no secret I love my birthday.

LOVE IT.

What makes it so magical these days is the presence of my beautiful caring guy, Steve. He is the most special, wonderful part of my life - yes caramel, he eclipses even you - and I am intensely glad to have him in my life.

But of course, I still love and adore my many fabulous friends, many of whom took to Twitter, Facebook (mostly) and texting to wish me a Happy Birthday. Love them all.

Pop star Mika even sent me a greeting ... we ll his automated social media thingy but loved the thought!

* these final 3 pages of birthday greetings were from 26th Nov here in Oz BUT 25th Nov on the other side of the dateline.

Caught up quickly with Waz when he drove us over to collect Steve's car where he had parked it near the restaurant in Enmore; we had coffee at Annie's cafe and then Steve and I rushed to get ready to catch train to lunch ...

Hot damn hot! Quite a contrast to the chilled temps of my birthday last year.

Another part to my gift. Waz is so generous.

Thankfully after getting dressed in a hurry and enduring hot temperatures on 5 minute walk to stattion, we got a CHILLED air con'd train to Central and then an even colder one to Circular Quay. Birthday blessings aplenty!

But being a sunny day and this had not occurred to either of us when we formulated our finely tuned travel schedule, EVERYONE decided to go to Manly! While we got tickets reasonably quickly thanks to a lovely ferries person who pointed out free ticket-buying windows on the non-station of the queue to get on the ferry, we couldn't squeeze on the 12.30 ferry and had to wait till the 1pm one.

Thankfully there was a wonderful cooling breeze on the dock and the ferry itself was chilled ... ane the views? AWESOME as always.

Voyager of the Seas in town

Now getting to Pilu was an ordeal. Taxi driver seemed to know where he was going but didn't actually and we ended up in Harbord and Steve had to use Google Maps to get us to Pilu albeit 1/2 hour late (we had rung ahead though so table was still waiting for us.)

And the feast began ...

Started with ...

A special extra treat from the chef. YUM.

First up was "Primi" or entree and this is what we had ...

Ravioli - my choice - exquisite 

Spaghetti - Steve's - DELISH

Then on to Secondi ...

Sublime. BEST. ROAST PORK. EVER.

And though we were full ... VERY full ... we had dessert ...

I had ginger and caramel gelato and Steve had strawberry and basil sorbet (the sorbet was divine).

Finished off with peppermint tea (Steve) and lemongrass and ginger (me) and petits fours and then after 3.5 hours - best and longest lunch ever - we left the restaurant at 5.30, waited 20 minutes for a Silver Service taxi back to Manly (wasn't awful waiting view-wise as Freshwater Beach is gorgeous; but still hot and sunny) and then ferry back to Circular Quay and train home by 7.15.

The view from our table out the main window to the ocean 

Freshwater beach

Pilu

The time of my birth - happened onboard the ferry

Yup, still hot.

And though I was tired, HAD to open my presents, all exquisitely wrapped by Steve in cute, gorgeous wrapping paper. LOVE HIM.

And today's Dilbert cartoon ...